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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Lehigh96, post: 409670, member: 15309&quot;]I really think the best way to answer this question is by using visual aids.&nbsp; The purpose of the guess the grade posts was to get board member opinions regarding both the technical and market grades of these two coins.&nbsp; Here is a photo of the two coins side by side.</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o59/ACPitBoss/TechnicalGradingvsMarketGrading-1.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o59/ACPitBoss/TechnicalGradingvsMarketGrading2.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>Let&#039;s take a good look at the 1885-O coin first.&nbsp; It was unanimous amongst the board members that this coin had superlative surfaces and was deserving from a technical grading standpoint of at least MS65 if not higher.&nbsp; However, everyone also noted that the strike was very weak even for an issue that typically shows a weak strike.&nbsp; The luster on the coin is good but not fantastic and the toning/eye appeal of the coin is great and well deserving of the star designation.&nbsp; IMO, the technical grade of the obverse is MS67 and the reverse is MS65.&nbsp; Since we use the lowest grade of either side to determine overall grade, I would assign a technical grade of MS65.&nbsp; Now for the market grade:&nbsp; PCGS states that a coin with an MS64 grade should have an average strike or above and for MS63 the strike may not be full.&nbsp; Regardless of the typically soft strike for O mint Morgans, this coin does not have a full strike and therefore should not have a market grade above MS63.&nbsp; In this respect, I think NGC has market graded the coin twice.&nbsp; The soft strike limits the grade to MS63 but they felt that the coin was market acceptable at MS64 due to the overall eye appeal of the coin.</p><p><br /></p><p>The 1880-S Morgan is a different story.&nbsp; The technical grade of this coin is at best MS65 and that is being generous.&nbsp; There is no doubt that the 1885-O has better surfaces than the 1880-S, but since technical grading only gives us MS63, MS65, MS67, I will assign it a technical grade of MS65 as well.&nbsp; This coin has good strike (not great) and both the luster and eye appeal are off the charts.&nbsp; It is difficult to appreciate the luster on this coin from the photos, but I think it is evident that the luster on this coin obviously exceeds that of the 1885-O.&nbsp; The coin has semi-prooflike surfaces with frosted devices on both sides.&nbsp; The toning is remarkable and in combination with the luster appear as vivid liquid colors that possess a pop and flash that create a visually stunning appearance.&nbsp; This coin has obviously been market graded up from an MS65 to MS66 for its incredible eye appeal.</p><p><br /></p><p>We have two examples of coins that would possess the same technical grade but have been market graded in different directions.&nbsp; Now here is the question that should end the debate.&nbsp; Overall, which is the nicer coin?&nbsp; If almost everyone agrees that the 1880-S is the nicer coin, I would say that market grading is doing it&#039;s job.</p><p>&nbsp; </p><p>Two coins with the same technical grade are separated by two points after market grading.&nbsp; The incomplete strike on the 1885-O is so visually distracting that it lost a point and the eye appeal of the 1880-S is so superlative that it gained a point.&nbsp; Personally, I give this advice to the proponents of technical grading.&nbsp; Instead of condemning the TPG&#039;s for messing with the grade that seems inconsistent with the technical grade, simply try to understand why the TPG market graded the coin the way that they did.&nbsp; If you can&#039;t understand why, then you can consider that the coin is improperly graded or that for subjective reasons, you simply disagree with the assigned grade.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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